ASP Middle School Laptop Program - A Buyers Guide

Transcription

1 The ASP Middle School Laptop Program Handbook Updated 1 June 2015 This document provides essential information about the American School of Paris Middle School Laptop Program. It describes in detail how the program is organized; what is provided, and what is required. It forms the basis of the partnership between ASP, students and parents that makes this program successful; enabling students and teachers to make truly effective use of technology to support and extend learning. It is essential that you carefully read and understand the parameters and responsibilities described in this handbook. Please contact us if you have any questions. The Purpose of the ASP Middle School Laptop Program At ASP we believe that every child must learn to be a safe and responsible digital citizen and an effective, independent digital learner. Technology has become an indispensable part of so much that we do; and while we know that children take quickly to technology, there are vital skills that they need their parents and teachers to help them learn. For example: How to keep themselves safe and manage their online digital identity and footprints How to use technology responsibly and be good digital citizens, respectful of others and their creative work How to do effective research and find the information they really need from the vast amount of material available How to evaluate sources and appropriately acknowledge those that they use How to synthesize and create their own truly original work How to present and publish their work using the most effective media and tools How to manage and maintain the technology they use; look after a computer, backup their files, get connected to networks, etc How to decide when to use technology, and when to use other resources and tools. The ASP Middle School Laptop Program enables us to exploit the benefits of technology for student learning by ensuring that it is readily accessible whenever it is needed. It increases teachers capacity to provide for individual learners needs. It provides a safe and structured environment for students to become responsible users of technology. It expands the potential for creative and constructive use of technology by opening students minds to a wider range of applications and resources and helping them gain the skills needed to explore them. This program is an essential component of ASP s strategies to fully equip students to survive and thrive in the digital 21 st century. How Does the Program Work? The first few weeks When a student starts in the Middle School at ASP they are assigned a laptop computer for their exclusive use. For the first few weeks the computer stays at school, locked up in a charging cabinet each night. During that time the students: Have lessons to familiarize themselves with the computer, the Mac operating system and various applications and resources they will use in class Complete a digital citizenship curriculum where they learn how to be safe and responsible technology users, earning their Digital Citizenship Driver s License

2 Use the laptop for learning in their classes under the guidance of their teachers Practice managing and looking after their laptop at school. The handover When the students are ready, we hold handover events. The purpose of the handover is to manage the transition to the routine of the computer being taken home each afternoon, being supervised at home, and being brought back ready for the next school day. At least one parent must attend this important event with their child before the computer goes home. The success of this program is based on a partnership between the school, the students and their parents. Parents are key players in this laptop program, and the handover event supports important aspects of that parental role. At the handover: The students explain key aspects of online safety and digital citizenship, the agreements they have made, and the role parents have in helping them keep them. We are absolutely committed to not simply throwing students in the deep end with technology, but to helping them, and supporting parents in helping them, to become safe and responsible technology users. Students and their teachers show some of the ways that the laptops are used in class. We introduce resources that can be useful to parents with a digital child and explain the Common Sense Media agreement. We spend some time highlighting the important management aspects of this new phase of the laptop program advice on its supervision at home, how it is to be looked after travelling between home and school, backup and charging routines, what happens when something goes wrong, etc. It is important to go over this information with parents and students together to support families in understanding common expectations such as: where the computer should be located at home, how much time should be spent on it, how it can be personalized and how it can be used recreationally. There is an opportunity for us to discuss any questions parents or students may have before the next phase of the program. The daily routine After the handover the student takes the computer home from school each day. The computer must stay zipped in its protective sleeve and be in the student s book bag throughout the journey home. They may not use it while travelling home or on their way back to school. After the handover, the parents decide where and when the computer is to be used at home. We recommend that you have a regular homework station where the student uses the computer. It is not wise for children to have a computer in their bedroom. We advise families to use the Common Sense Media Agreement as the basis for the use of technology at home. Sign it and have it accessible so that you can refer to it regularly together. This computer is provided for educational purposes; it is for the student s school work at ASP and at home. Students may use the computer for activities other than homework, however they may not install games or other software on it*. This computer is not provided to be a games machine for the child. However, if they want to create their own movies, compose their own music, or use any of the other applications on the computer for their own creative and recreational projects, that is fine as long as they respect your family expectations regarding when, where and how the computer is used. They may put their own music, photos and videos on it. All media on the computer - pictures, videos, song lyrics, etc - must be appropriate for school and respect applicable copyrights. They

3 should invest time in becoming skillful on this computer that is reserved for their exclusive use. Parents may of course help their child with the laptop, but this is not a shared family computer. (*You may wish to recommend additional educational software that you would like us to consider installing on all the students laptops. In that case please contact Larry Love llove@asparis.fr.) At the handover you will take home an external hard disk drive that has been formatted and set up as a Time Machine drive for backing up work done on the laptop. This hard disk drive should normally be kept safe at home, and be used to regularly back up major projects and other work from the computer. If something goes wrong with the computer, this backup will be used to restore the student s work. Please remind your child of the need to make regular backups. Please be proactive about the care of the computer at home. A drink spilled on a laptop can quickly cause serious damage to the components inside. Usually a spill will quickly destroy the main board. To replace it costs several hundred euros. A pen or small hard object left on the keyboard will damage the screen if the lid is closed and pushed down onto it. Again, this is an expensive repair, not covered by warranty. Every night, before the student goes to bed, part of their routine must be to ensure that the laptop is plugged in and charging overnight. The charger normally stays at home the laptops run off their batteries during the day at school. The laptop should always be fully charged when the student takes it to school. During the day, when a student is not using their laptop for example during PE, lunch, recess, etc, they must lock it in their own locker. This routine is established during the weeks prior to the handover. If a student has an after school activity away from ASP, and there is a concern about security, you can make arrangements for the laptop to be stored and charged securely at school. The procedure is described in the FAQ below. Students should not leave their laptop in their locker overnight, as it would then not be charged ready for the next school day. If the laptop is stored and charged at school, the student is responsible for making alternative arrangements for completing their homework if it requires the use of a computer. Most assignments can be stored in the student s ASP Google Drive account and be accessed from another computer at home. Apple provides a service called Find my Mac for locating a missing Apple device, based on an Apple ID. Although it is possible to use an existing Apple ID and attach this computer to it, we recommend that you create one specially for keeping track of your child/ren s Apple devices. It s absolutely free and doesn t require a credit card. In the event of a laptop going missing, this service provides an effective way to locate it. You will be sent further information about setting up an AppleID at the start of the school year. Questions and Answers/ FAQ The following pages provide more detail about the laptop program and answers to frequently asked questions. We have also included a copy of the Common Sense Media Agreement that we use as the basis for our digital citizenship program, and that we recommend you also use as a practical framework for technology use in your home. It is essential that you have clear rules for your home about the use of the computer, including where it is used and stored, when and how it is used, its care, and the amount of time your child can spend on it apart from homework. Common Sense Media provides excellent resources on technology and media use for parents, students and teachers at (ASP uses these materials as permitted under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.)

4 Finally there is a copy of our Digital Citizenship Driver s License which outlines the practical rules of the road for computer use in the ASP Middle School and provides a way to reinforce safe, responsible behavior. These requirements and the specific penalties were developed by students and teachers together in the first year of the Middle School laptop program at ASP. If you have further questions, or would like more information or clarification, please don t hesitate to contact one of us: Claude Lord (Middle School Technology Coordinator) clord@asparis.fr Larry Love (ASP Technology Director) llove@asparis.fr +33 (0) FAQ - Contents Specifications and Costs 1. Which model of laptop are we using? 2. How much do parents pay for the laptop program? What does the fee cover? 3. Will a student have the same laptop for their whole time in Middle School at ASP? Warranty and Repairs 4. What does the warranty cover? 5. How are repairs handled? 6. Who pays if the laptop is lost or stolen? Who pays for repairs not covered by the warranty? 7. Apple s Find my Mac service 8. What will a replacement laptop cost? 9. What happens if the laptop gets lost or damaged at school? Management of the Laptop 10. How much control of the computer does the student have? 11. How much time does the student spend using the computer each day? 12. How is the laptop looked after at school during lunch and recess? 13. What if a student has an activity after school, away from ASP? What can be done to ensure security? Files and Backups 14. Where are students files saved? 15. The Time Machine drive Internet Access 16. Do students have Internet access at school? 17. Do parents have to provide Internet access at home? Malware 18. Does the laptop have malware protection software? Textbooks 19. Do students still require printed textbooks?

5 Typing and Handwriting 20. How can my child learn to type properly? 21. How about handwriting skills? Procedures for the End of School 22. Families who expect to return to ASP 23. Families who DO NOT expect to return to ASP but wish to keep the laptop 24. Families who DO NOT expect to return to ASP and DO NOT wish to keep the laptop What happens at the end of the Middle School Laptop Program after the 3-year leasing cycle? 25. Can parents buy the laptop for their child to use in Upper School? 26. What happens to laptops that no one wants to keep? General Questions 27. What if a student is only in the ASP Middle School for one or two years? 28. How about partial years? 29. May a family provide their own laptop? 30. Can a family simply pay the full cost of the laptop up front and not pay the annual fee? 31. Some families may not want an additional computer at home! 32. Can a sixth grader really look after an expensive computer? 33. How does the Middle School Laptop Program fit into the whole ASP technology program?

6 FAQ Specifications and Costs 1. Which model of laptop are we using? 2. How much do parents pay for the laptop program? What does the fee cover? 3. Will a student have the same laptop for their whole time in Middle School at ASP? Warranty and Repairs 4. What does the warranty cover? The model will meet or exceed the following specifications: MacBook Air with a 13 LED screen, Core i5 1.7 GHz dual-core processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB Solid State Hard Disk, Intel HD Graphics 3000, AirPort Extreme n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thunderbolt port, 2 x USB ports, QWERTY keyboard and 45W power supply, OSX (Yosemite). An annual laptop program fee of 525 is included in the Middle School tuition fee. The laptop program fee covers: the cost to ASP of leasing the computer and accessories 1 a 500 GB external hard disk Time Machine drive for backing up files, and a protective laptop cover the Apple iwork and ilife software (including Pages, Numbers, Keynote, imovie and Garage Band) additional software licenses (including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint) technical support 2 1 The cost to ASP for leasing the computer and the accessories is currently 437 per year. This amount per year for three years, plus an end of lease buy out fee of 71, represents the total cost of the computer and accessories: (437 x 3) + 71 = 1,382 (tax included). The remaining 88 per year of the laptop program fee covers additional software licenses and support costs. 2 Technical support is provided on a no interruptions to learning basis. This means that if a student s laptop is being serviced, they will be issued a loaner laptop with the same or very similar specification to use until their one is repaired. Their data will be restored from the Time Machine drive and our cloud-based learning services. Normally each computer will be assigned to only one student for as many years as that student is in the ASP Middle School. This provides an additional incentive for the student to take good care of it. At the end of each school year the computers are returned to IT Support for maintenance and updates during the summer vacation. The computer will then be re-issued to the same student at the start of the new school year. The included Apple three year warranty covers repairs for component failures (including parts and labor) by Apple certified technicians. The warranty does NOT cover mechanical damage, whether deliberate or accidental (for example a broken screen, damage due to liquids being spilt on the computer, or the computer being dropped on the floor, etc). Please be proactive about the care of the computer at home. A drink spilled on a laptop can quickly cause serious damage to the components inside. Usually a spill will quickly destroy the main board. To replace it costs several hundred euros. A drink should never be placed in a position where it could spill onto a laptop. A pen or small hard object left on the

7 5. How are repairs handled? 6. Who pays if the laptop is lost or stolen? Who pays for repairs not covered by the warranty? 7. Apple s Find my Mac service 8. What will a replacement laptop cost? 9. What happens if the laptop gets lost or damaged at school? keyboard will damage the screen if the lid is closed and pushed down onto it. Remind your child to check that nothing is left on the keyboard. All repairs must be managed by ASP. We have a contract with an Apple certified service center for those repairs that we cannot make ourselves. If a laptop is not working properly or is damaged, the student should tell their teacher and take it to the Middle School IT Help Center (located in the MS Digital Media Lab) at the first opportunity. Our technicians will attempt to diagnose and fix the problem. If we cannot fix it in a timely fashion, the laptop will be sent to our designated Apple service center for repair and the student will be issued an identical loaner laptop to use until their laptop is repaired. Repairs not covered by the warranty must be paid for, in full, by the parents. Parents should then claim against their insurance. The parents are responsible for the cost of replacing the laptop if it is lost or stolen, and for repairs not covered by the warranty. If the parents don t have insurance, they will be liable for the full cost of non-warranty repairs or replacement if the laptop is lost or stolen. Parents should insure the laptop for its full replacement value: 1,382. This is what it will cost to replace the laptop and therefore represents the real financial interest the parents have in the laptop for insurance purposes. It is normal for household insurance policies to include the provision to cover items not actually owned by the policy holder, but that are in their care. If items are of over a certain value, it may be necessary to list them in the insurance policy, with the replacement cost specified. Sometimes insurance cover during travel/ transportation has to be specially noted. Please check the details of your insurance policy. The additional 88 per year for licenses and support costs cannot be covered by insurance. This part of the annual Laptop Program Fee will not be charged twice for the same year, even if a laptop is replaced. If the laptop is lost, stolen or destroyed, ASP will arrange for a replacement. We strongly recommend the use of Apple s Find my Mac service to help locate the computer in the event it goes missing. We will provide instructions about setting up an AppleID for your child, and using the Find my Mac service. The parents will be charged the residual cost to the school of the original laptop s lease, plus the first year s lease for the replacement laptop. The total liability is shown in the table below: If a laptop is lost, stolen or destroyed during: Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Lease already paid in laptop program fees Remainder of lease to pay/ buy-out fee year New lease for replacement laptop Total cost if laptop is lost, stolen or destroyed We do all we can to prevent loss or damage to the laptop at school, however the parents insurance must cover this possibility. Students have been taught and will be required to follow clear rules regarding how they must carry the laptop between locations at school,

8 Management of the Laptop 10. How much control of the computer does the student have? 11. How much time does the student spend using the computer each day? 12. How is the laptop looked after at school during lunch and recess? 13. What if a student has an activity after school, away from ASP? What can be done to ensure security? when and where it may and may not be used, its storage in their locked locker when it is not being used or supervised, how other students laptops are to be respected, and the manner in which the laptop must be transported to and from school. This is taught in our Digital Citizenship Driver s License program and reinforced by all teachers as necessary during the school day. It is normal in France that the insurance companies themselves negotiate liability if damage or loss is caused by a third party. The software that the student uses on the laptop is installed and updated by the school. The computer is configured to maximize its usefulness as an educational tool. The school retains administrative rights to the computer students are not allowed to install extra software, set up a new account on the computer or re-configure it in any way that diminishes its usefulness for school work. Students may personalize their desktop and store their own music, pictures and videos on the laptop, so long as the content is appropriate for school, and all copyrights are respected. If administrative rights are required for a specific purpose for example to configure Find My Mac or to connect to a printer at home, please mslaptops@asparis.fr and we will facilitate this. Teachers plan lessons so that some time is spent on the computer, and some away from it. Some activities don t use the computer at all. Middle School students are normally not allowed to use their computers at recess or lunch break, except in a supervised space. Schools with wellestablished laptop programs estimate that their students typically spend around 2-3 hours actually working on the computer in a normal school day. Some additional time on the computer can be expected for homework tasks. Parents should decide how much time is appropriate for their child to spend using the computer during free time at home. It is important for students to learn to balance time spent on the computer with time spent on other activities. Common Sense Media has good resources to help families to discuss this: Students are required to lock their laptop in their locker during lunch and recess and at other times when they are not using the laptop or are unable to closely supervise it (such as during PE class). Especially at the start of the year, teachers remind students of this when they leave class, to help establish good routines. Students must not leave their laptop in a school bag or otherwise unsupervised while they participate in an after school activity. If the activity is at ASP, the laptop should be locked in the student s locker, and be collected and taken home afterwards. The laptop should NOT be left in the locker overnight as it would not then be charged for the next school day.

9 If the activity is away from ASP you may use this option: before 14:00 on the day of the activity to let us know that your child will require us to lock their laptop in a charging cabinet overnight. You should ask them to take their laptop to the Middle School IT Help Center (located in the MS Digital Media Lab) straight after school to have it locked in the charging cabinet. They should pick it up before going to Advisory the following school day. Files and Backups 14. Where are students files saved? 15. The Time Machine drive Internet Access 16. Do students have Internet access at school? 17. Do parents have to provide Internet access at home? Much of students work at ASP is stored in cloud services such as their ASP Google Apps for Education accounts. They can access those files from any computer with a web browser and Internet access. Some projects, particularly when they include music, pictures or video, are large and are therefore better worked on and stored on the laptop. These files must be backed up on the external hard disk provided with the laptop. Apple provides software called Time Machine which enables students to back up and restore their files. We refer to the external hard disk drive provided in the program as the student s Time Machine drive. At the start of the school year the students will be shown how to set up their Time Machine drive and make backups. During the year the Time Machine drive is normally kept at home and is used by the student to make regular backups, especially after doing major work that is not stored online. If the laptop fails, this backup provides a means to restore the student s files. At the end of the school year students will bring their Time Machine drive to school again to make a final backup of their files for that year. The drive will be stored at school over the summer and be used to restore any files that are needed at the start of the new school year. This is essential as all of the student laptops will be reimaged (wiped, then the software reinstalled and updated) over the summer. If the external hard disk is lost or damaged during the time a student has the use of it, the parents will be responsible for the cost of its replacement. The student must inform the Middle School IT Help Center personnel so that they can verify that the new Time Machine drive is set up properly. Yes, we often use web sites and online applications in class at ASP. As is required in France, we filter web content to protect students from exposure to inappropriate websites. Your child will benefit from having access to the Internet at home. ASP web filtering does not apply to your home Internet connection. We will not remotely monitor your student s computer use away from school. Parents must take responsibility for their child s use of the Internet away from school; however ASP will provide support by reinforcing the expectations and behaviors important for good digital citizenship and

10 Malware 18. Does the laptop have malware protection software? Textbooks 19. Do students still require printed textbooks? Typing and Handwriting 20. How can my child learn to type properly? 21. How about handwriting skills? Procedures for the End of School 22. Families who expect to return to ASP: online safety. Please make the Common Sense Media Agreement part of your family s guidelines for safe and responsible technology use. Yes. Although MacOS computers have in the past been less prone to malware attacks, as they have become more widely used they have become much more of a target. We install and regularly update software that provides a very good level of protection against viruses and other malware. It is important to emphasize users should not be complacent about malware even when their computer has protection. It is still possible for malware to be transferred via their computer to other computers using USB keys or over networks, and new threats can infect computers before they have been identified and the malware software updated. Be careful never to plug your Time Machine drive into a computer that doesn t have up-to-date malware protection. If something strange happens on the laptop, or you think it may have been infected, the student should tell their teacher and take it to the Middle School IT Help Center (located in the MS Digital Media Lab) at the first possible opportunity. Don t plug any USB keys or external hard disk drives into it. We expect that it won t be long until students textbooks are replaced by electronic versions and other digital resources. However, at the moment we are in a transition period as textbook publishers and distributors evolve affordable models for schools to adopt electronic texts. We aim to distribute as many resources as are appropriate electronically, and reduce printing. We encourage students to use an online typing tutor to learn and practice good keyboarding skills. Structured exercises, done regularly, can be very beneficial. It is a good idea to set goals and track progress. Sign up for a free account at Students need to become adept at taking notes and communicating ideas using technology, but they also have to be able to do so by hand. At ASP students are required to develop and practice those skills through an approach that deliberately balances work done using the laptop with tasks done without. Students will be instructed to: Use their Time Machine drive to make a backup of all their files. If they will need any of their files over the summer, they should copy them to a USB key or another external disk drive. Return their laptop, power supply and Time Machine drive to school on or before the last day they attend school for that school year. Over the summer the laptop will be reimaged (wiped, then the software reinstalled and updated). The Time Machine drives will be stored securely at school.

11 23. Families who DO NOT expect to return to ASP but wish to keep the laptop: 24. Families who DO NOT expect to return to ASP and DO NOT wish to keep the laptop: At the start of the new school year students will restore their files from the Time Machine drive. Families who are leaving ASP and wish to buy out the laptop and keep it should as early as possible to let us know. We will let you know the cost of buying out the remainder of the lease. If you decide that you do wish to buy it, we will make arrangements for the transfer of ownership to you. We will need time before the last day the student will attend school to reconfigure the laptop to give you full administrative rights, etc. The protective cover, external hard disk (Time Machine drive) and all software licensed with the computer (the operating system, imovie, GarageBand, Pages, Keynote, etc) will be included. Additional software installed under ASP s educational site licenses (for example, Microsoft Office) cannot be included and will be uninstalled prior to ASP releasing the computer. (Microsoft Office for Mac - Home and Student Edition can be purchased for around 90.) The laptop, power supply, protective cover and external hard disk drive must be returned on or before the last day the student attends school. If the student wishes to keep their files, they should first copy them to alternative media (a USB key or another external disk drive). If the computer has been damaged or defaced such that it cannot reasonably be issued to another student or be returned to the leasing company, the parents will be liable for any loss, or at the school s discretion, the cost of replacement, repair or cleaning. If you are aware of any damage, you must inform us immediately. The computer and external hard disk drive will be completely erased before they are issued to another student. What happens at the end of the Middle School Laptop Program after the 3-year leasing cycle? 25. Can parents buy the laptop for their child to use in Upper School? When a laptop has been leased by ASP for three years it can either be returned to the leasing company or be purchased for a buy-out cost of around 71. If parents wish to purchase the computer for their child to continue to use when they move on to Upper School (wherever they will be) they may do so for the lease buy-out cost. At that stage they will be given full administrative rights. The protective cover, external hard disk and all software licensed with the computer (the operating system, imovie, GarageBand, Pages, Keynote, etc) will be included. Additional software installed under ASP s educational site licenses (for example, Microsoft Office) cannot be included and will be uninstalled prior to ASP releasing the computer. (Microsoft Office for Mac - Home and Student Edition can be purchased for around 90.) If they choose not to keep the laptop, the external hard disk and laptop cover must also be returned. If the student wishes to keep their files, they should first copy them to alternative media (a USB key or another external disk drive).

12 26. What happens to laptops that no one wants to keep? General Questions 27. What if a student is only in the ASP Middle School for one or two years? 28. How about partial years? 29. May a family provide their own laptop? 30. Can a family simply pay the full cost of the laptop up front and not pay the annual fee? 31. Some families may not want an additional computer at home! If the laptop has only been used for one or two years, and ASP issues the laptop and external hard disk to another student, the laptop and external hard disk will be completely erased. Some of them will be bought out by ASP for use as loaners. If there are extras they will be made available to ASP families for the cost of the buy-out fee. The rest will simply be returned to the leasing company there is no fee to pay if the laptop is not bought out at the end of the three year lease. The parents pay the annual laptop fee for the year/s that the student is enrolled in the ASP Middle School, and their child is issued a laptop for those years. The family can choose to buy out the remainder of the lease and keep the laptop. Otherwise, if the laptop has been used for only one or two years it will be issued to another student as required. If a student arrives part way through the school year, the parents still pay the annual laptop fee. The fee is included in tuition and will be treated in the same way with respect to partial years as the tuition fee. In the Middle School we provide a carefully structured environment where students learn how to use technology effectively, safely and responsibly. In order to maximize the effectiveness of this environment we must insist that all students have the same computer with the same software. We implement measures to ensure that this computer is as useful as possible as an educational tool. It is also important to note that software ASP provides under educational site licenses cannot be installed on privately owned computers. For these reasons, families may not provide their own laptop for their Middle School child to bring to school. There is no advantage to the family in doing that. They are better to participate in the ASP laptop program for the years they are in the Middle School, giving their child the use of a very well set up and supported computer for those years, and defer purchasing a new computer until later in Upper School. (The laptop should be sufficient for use in 9th and 10th grade as well.) It makes sense to benefit from the bulk-leasing prices, educational site licenses for software and special rates on warranty and service contracts that ASP can secure. This computer is specifically designated for the child s educational use it s not just another family computer to be used for games and Facebook! With the ASP Middle School Laptop Program parents are entering into a supportive partnership with ASP to help their child make the most of the educational potential of this technology. Students are required to comply with the Digital Citizenship Driver s License at school and we recommend that they and their parents also sign the Common Sense Media Agreement which we use as a foundation

13 32. Can a sixth grader really look after an expensive computer? 33. How does the Middle School Laptop Program fit into the whole ASP technology program? for our online safety and digital citizenship program. These provide very clear parameters for the acceptable use of technology. Failure to comply at school results in the loss of privileges, including restricted use of technology resources. The Common Sense Media Agreement provides an excellent framework for safe and responsible technology use at home. Families will already have guidelines as to when and where computers are used at home. Most families designate a set place where the computer may be used, and set limits for how long it is used. ASP supports parents by clearly reinforcing these expectations with students. One of the reasons for our Middle School laptop program is to teach students how to look after, manage and take responsibility for a computer we want them to develop a real sense of ownership of this laptop. At the beginning of sixth grade students participate in a series of lessons that start with the care of their laptop. They learn how to look after the hardware and software, including how to back up their files. They learn about online safety and digital citizenship, focusing on personal responsibility and computer use. They learn to use the specific applications on the computer that will be required in various subjects. For the first few weeks the laptop stays at school, stored securely when not in use. The students prepare for a handover event when they will present some of what they have already learned to their parents, and the laptop will be taken home for the first time. At the moment in the Lower School we use laptops and ipads in a ratio of around one device to every two students. This means that teachers and students have access to technology when they need it, but it doesn t dominate the learning environment. Lower School students may not bring their own computers (including tablet computer such as ipads) to school. From all grade 6-8 students will be included in the ASP Middle School Laptop Program. We have a Bring Your Own Device program in the Upper School. This means that all students in grades 9-12 are required to bring a laptop or tablet computer of their own to school every day. Details of this program, the specifications of computers which are suitable and the parameters for their use are available in the Upper School section of the ASP website.

14 Common Sense media agreement for parents and kids grades 6-8 At the American School of Paris we use the Common Sense Media Agreement as the basis for our Middle School Digital Citizenship program. This agreement describes how we have decided to behave when using technology and when we are online. We deliberately connect behavior in the online or virtual world with behavior in the real world as we know that both have real consequences for ourselves and for others. As teachers and parents we understand that we have an important responsibility to help students not only to survive, but also to thrive in the digital world. We are committed to supporting them and modeling good Digital Citizenship ourselves. I will keep myself safe. I will not give out any personal information, like my age, last name, address or phone number, or meet someone I ve met online, without my parents permission. I will not put myself at risk by posting or sending sexy or naked photos. I will block creepy messages from people I don t know. I will tell my parents or an adult I trust if anything happens online that makes me feel uncomfortable, upset or sad. I will not share my password with anyone other than my parents, even my best friend. I will set privacy controls and discuss with my parents when I want to create a social networking profile. I will think first. I agree that not all TV shows, movies, games, music and Web sites are right for me. I will talk to my parents if I am not sure what s appropriate. If my family has rules about ratings, I will follow them. The rules are: I will be a good digital citizen. I agree not to bully anyone online or on my cell phone by sending pictures or sharing videos without the permission of the person(s) in the photo/video, or by spreading gossip, setting up fake profiles or saying cruel things about people. I agree not to use technology to cheat in games or on schoolwork. I agree to flag and report content that is inappropriate. I will keep a healthy balance. Even though I love media, there are other things in my life that I m interested in. So I will help my parents set time limits that make sense and then I will follow them. I will help my parents understand why media is so important to me, but also recognize that my safety is more important to them than anything else. In exchange, my parents agree to: Recognize that media is a big part of my life, even if they don t always understand why. Before saying no talk with me about what worries them and why. Embrace my world: understand downloads, IM, online games and the sites that I like. I know that not everything I read or see is true, and I will think about whether a source is credible. I agree not to download anything or fill out surveys without my parents permission. I know that the pictures and videos I post online, and everything that I write about myself and my friends, will likely be online forever. Therefore I will not put anything on my profile that I wouldn t want my parents, teachers, college admissions officers or future bosses to see. Signed by me Signed by my parents Date Date

15 Digital Citizenship Driver's License ASP Middle School 1-1 Laptop Use Agreement The American School of Paris Digital Citizenship Driver s License describes the rules of the road that students must follow to be allowed to participate in the laptop program in our Middle School. Every student starts each term with five Digital Citizenship Driver s License points. Your advisor will keep a record of how many points you have. There is a colored card attached to your computer that indicates whether you still have your full number of points or have lost some. Your advisor will change the color of the card to reflect how many points you have left. If your card is red, you may not use your laptop for one school day. In that case you will have to do your class activities as best you can without your computer, and catch up on work that has to be transferred to your computer, after that day. In brackets after each requirement is the penalty for not following it. It is important to remember that some inappropriate behaviors will have consequences well beyond the loss of points, and will be handled accordingly. 1. I will come to school with my laptop fully charged. (-1 point) 2. I will carry my laptop zipped in its case. (-1) 3. I will walk (not run) with my laptop. (-1) 4. I will use my laptop only on steady tables and not on my lap. (-1) 5. I will use my laptop only in classrooms, not in the cafeteria, on the field or while travelling to and from school. (-1) 6. I will store my laptop (and any computer devices) in an appropriate, safe place. (-1) 7. If I have a problem with my laptop, I will take it to the Help Center as soon as possible. (-1) 8. In class, I will open and close my laptop when the teacher instructs me to do so. (-3) 9. During class, when using any computer device, I will use only the applications and websites as approved by my teacher. (-3) 10. I will not chat or send during classes unless instructed by my teacher. (-3) 11. I will not let anyone else use or borrow my laptop unless instructed by the teacher. (-3) 12. I will not install personal games or applications on my laptop without special approval. (-5) 13. I will not reconfigure or change the settings of someone else s computer. (-5) 14. I will not use anybody else s password to gain access to their private information or accounts. (-5) 15. I will not willfully delete someone else s work or photos when working with others on a shared document. (-5) 16. I will not engage in cyber bullying, either actively or passively. (-5) 17. I will not cheat or plagiarize. (-5) 18. I will not post videos or photos of anyone without his/her permission. (-5) Student s name Signature Date